The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-07-29
REUNION At BRIGHTON.
GREAT DAY FOR EX.CONFEDIR.
ATEs AND THEIR FRIENDS.
Eloquent Efforts BY Gifted Speakers
-SON0 People In Attendance
An Accident.

Inc eleventh annual reunion OF
tome 300 ex.Confederates was the oc.
casion for a gathering Of about 5000
people at Brighton, Upton county,
yesterday. They went from stations
all along the Chesapeake and Ohio
railroad, between Memphis and New
bern, thirty miles on either side OF
the scene. The regular train leaving
this city at $50 O'Clock m. was
heavily laden, carrying three or four
extra coaches, which were side tracked
at Brighton. A special train was also
run from Newbern, on the other side.
Then came the private conveyance
brigade from all directions, complet-
Ing the vast cs,emb!ar.
Ample arrangements had been
made by the generous hearted people
OF Upton for the concourse, aud not
one complaint Of poor management or
inadequate accommodations was
heard. Tie attendance was soms-
what larger than anticipated, causing
number OF people to look to their
own ingenuity for seats, but this was q
source OF no inconvenience. A large
proportion Of them were young people
-sweethearts, who had come
to make day OF it-and
they preferred separation TO
favorable distance from the multitude.
Wagons farm and spring-and bug
gits were pressed into service, the lat
ter going at premium. The train
which left Memphis at IL o'clock for
Brighton ran rather light but rapidly
until within about one mile Of A,oks,
aud ak miles this side, when tele-
scope, with peculiar results, brought
about an hours delay. A freight
train bad stopped on the main
track nj q sawmill to take on
a lot OF lumber, and uucoupled
from the cRboose and one car, leaving
about sixty yards vacant space. The
conductor WAS on the lookout for the
special ane had instructed q colored
brakeman to display the proper signal.
After giving his order the conductor
turned away 10 look alter other dutiee,
aud the brakeman deliberately entered
the csboose without regarding the In.
junction. The two cars were Just
around O curve and the engineer oil
the special could not perceive
the danger In tine to avoid crash.
As rapidly as possible after the OBJ
struc,ions were discovered, be re-
verssd the lever and jumped TO the
ground, followed In quick order by his
fireman. Soon there was q SUD len
halt In tbs forward movement, accom-
panied by q fearful crash, which al
must threw the few passengers into
the aisles and the forward cars filed
with smoke. A rope and dummy
were not necessary TO induce those
within 10 vacate, and the sight In
| front was one OF complete wreck
at least to the freight cars-no.
unmiXed with the peculiar. How IL
came about no one could explain, but
the forward end OF the caboose was
planted sq1arely on the forefront Of
the freight, and both were badly splin-
tered. Even the wheels were nicely
piled, while the trucks under the To-
| comotivs were of the track and the
smokestack and headlight dishgured.
The passengers, thankful for the e.
cape, nimbly mounted the freight cars
and proceeded 10 Aioks, to keep up
with orders from headquarters rs 20
what they were going to do about II.
Dol. John Steele was among the nun
Der, but did not fancy the Ia brake
men method Of travel. IL required q
great deal OF persuasion to induce him
10 make the ascent, and equally as
much to get him down.
1t was foally arranged the best pos.
sible manner under the circumstances,
and al were deposited safe and eound
at Brighton, bu. too late .er dinner.
This WAS remedie1 by compassion on
the part OF those already on the
ground and satisfsd. Just as the sec.
oud" table had been we'll served, the
drum tapped, lively air by the band
followed, and, as the last note died
away, the Hon. @. b. Simonton, pre-
siding officer, introduced Gen. James
X. Chalmers 40 the first aiter.dinner
speaker. He had prepared no set
speech, and explained that his talk
would be more OF an ''exhortation,"
dtfiaing that term 40 giving him
liberty TO Jump from one sub
Zee. 10 another at bis own
pleasure. He first paid his compli-
ments 10 the ladies, who composed ap.
psrently two thirds OF the suiie ace,
aud then took up the holdier, a theme
which gave opportunity for q SEEM
ingly unlimited stock OF information.
Dus credit for all gallant achievements
by fighters on both sides during the
late civil war was cheeriully accord ed,
especially 10 those now numbered
With the deaf. "Death," esid he,
"immortalizss the brave deeds oil
friend and foe" From this he
passed 10 the Seventh Ten.
nessee Cavalry and recounted
numerous deeds OF valor under the
leadership Of the wizard OF the saddle,
Gen. n. B. Forrest One OF them wa.
an open Geld hsht below fernando,
Miss, between $50 men on each side,
the Federals being carefully selected
for that especial service by Gen
Grant. The latter were armed with
eabers and pistols, tie Confederate:
| WIN hbN8tbk btt thgtkaoos ~ Wv
sound Of the bugle both sides charged.
When within about thirty yArdl
OF each other the shotguns vert
simultaneously discharged, thirty
blue coated cavalrymen fell 10 earth
and the remainder fed precipitately
the Confederaies entbusiasticallJ
chasing them. The race continued FOL
thirty miles, and resulted In the cap
ture OF ninety Of the retreating forces
He then defined some OF the causeI
which led TO the war, summing II ~
az iollows: "The North fought io
the Union without the Constitution
the South for the Constitution
without the Union. We got both, snd
even more Of the constitution than ",
bargalned for, az they threw 10 the
thirteenth, fourteenth aud fifteenth
amendmenu, for which We nevel
fought" He didn't ask the North /;
forget the achievement OF its armies
or return any Of the captured Gags
They had cause TO be proud Of ever